Bullet gauge



Patented ug. 11, l1942 U NIT ED STAT ESS: PAT ENT QF FPC E g BULLET GAUGE Russe-1r Wiles, Jr., chicago, 1u; Application-.september 22, 1941-, .serial N0..411,934 V (ol. :ia-178) 8'Claims.

The invention is. an improved bullet gauge which is fully. described and claimedl` in thei fol'- lowing specification and illustrated .inltheaccompanying drawing, in which2 Figure 11 is a vertical section through one form of: the gauge; Fig-ure. 2is aJ bottom' plan-of: the structure of Figure 1;; Figure 3i is a. section through a second; form. of the device;.Figure4` is a section on. the line 41ofiFigure3-'1igure 5is. a section and. Figure isla. side elevation of-a third form of the device,. Figure. 7 is a section. through still' an'otherfform;,and Figure 8"' is an illustration of the device of Figures 1 and 2 in use.

In targetl shooting a shot is scoredras within the ring of highest value if the bullet would have touched that ring in its passage through the target. With most bullets the hole made in the target by the passage of the bullet is actually of smaller size than the bullet itself, and surrounding the actual perforation is an area of undefined width Where the paper has been torn or stretched and has closed up behind the bullet. This area often shows numerous fine radial tears, some of which spread beyond the area which the bullet would have actually occupied. In the case of close shots, therefore, it is necessary to use some sort of a gaugewith the indicating part of the actu-al diameter of the bullet.

A typical gauge is illustrated in Patent No. 2,117,317, where it will be seen that the operative end of the gauge is of quite small diameter so that it can be centered in the actual hole which the bullet makes in the paper, and that back of this centering head or button is a fiange of the exact diameter of the bullet. Three common sizes are .223 inch for .22 caliber bullets, .356.

inch for a so-called .38 caliber bullet used in pistol shooting, and .45 inch for the .45 caliber .pistol bullet. In the case of .30 caliber rifle shooting, the gauge is generally .308 inch, which equals the maximum expansion of the bullet to groove diameter in the standard .30 caliber barrel.

In the use of the standard bullet gauge, when the same is properly positioned in the bullet hole, the scorer still has to determine whether the flange is actually tangent to the scoring ring, or whether there is a space between the flange and the ring. In scoring on the small bore rifle target, and generally on the pistol target, the most frequent close shots are entirely in the black, and the scorer has to determine whether or not there is a line of black between the ange and the white line. For this purpose, it is frequently necessary to resort to a magnifying glass, 55

the manipulationof whichis quite inconvenient when the scorer. has to handle both the large target; paper, the gaugeandftheglass.-

The present bullet gauge' combines with theV ordinary'headed flange a magnifyinglens ofLthe type whichzcan be set directly against the surface to be magnified.

In. all the gurest theimagnifying; structure is preferably. made oftransparent plastic' materal,.and`-in.all;there is providedafat side which rests against the target" and an; opposite` curved` facejwhich:providesv thenecessary magnification;

In the form shown in Figures 1 and.2:th'e;mag= nifying` member IIJ is vertically; cylindrical in shape with a flat lower surface II and a curved upper lens-like surface I2. The gauge proper is provided with the usual head or button I3, a flange I4, and a pin I5 by which it is held in place in the plastic magnier. The gauge proper is preferably placed eccentrically so that the point of tangency may be brought opposite the center of the lens.

The structure shown in Figures 3 and 4 is particularly designed for use in pistol matches where the three calibers .22, .38 and .45 are in constant use. The magnifier I6 is generally cubical in form, three of the faces being kept at and the opposing three faces being curved, thus providing magnification when the structure is looked through in either of three directions. On one flat side there is the .22 caliber gauge I'I, in the second flat side the .38 caliber gauge I8, and on the third flat side the .45 caliber gauge I9. All these are preferably placed eccentrically so as to bring an edge of the flange opposite the center of curvature of the opposite side.

In Figures 5 and 6 there is illustrated a magnier 20 of generally horizontal cylindrical form, where one flat surface 2| has been provided. The gauge proper is placed eccentrically as shown. This type of gauge magnies only radially but by setting it on the target with the axis of the cylinder in a line roughly at right angles to the radius of the target, the magnification is in the only direction which is important, that is, radial.

As will be noted, the flange of the gauge-proper is not countersunk in the transparent material in this last described modification of my invention.

Instead, the flange is made quite thin (onethirty-second of an inch or less) and merely forced flat against the surface, which has been provides a cleaner definition of the flange edge when viewed through the top magnifying surface.

Figure 7 illustrates a device where the gauge is central in a cylindrical magnifier and the upper surface of the magnifier is provided with an annular curvature which will magnify radially in all directions.

In practical use the present bullet gauge is extremely convenient. It can be set in place as easily as any other gauge with one hand and a glance through the top of the gauge determines with great certainty whether or not there is the necessary tangency. By the use of the present device the gauging of close shots is Very greatly facilitated.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The hereinabove described bullet gauge having a lens-like magnifier with one flat surface to be placed against the target and an opposite curved surface to provide magnification and combined therewith a headed and flanged gaugeproper, having a flange of bullet diameter and a head to center the flange in the bullet hole, the flange and immediately surrounding target area being clearly visible in magnified form through the curved surface.

2. A bullet gauge of the type described in claim 1 having a plurality of fiat and opposing curved surfaces, the several fiat surfaces being provided with the headed flanged gauges-proper of different diameters for gauging bullet holes of different calibers.

3. A bullet gauge in accordance with claim 1 in which the gauge proper is placed eccentrically to bring its edge opposite the center of curvature of the opposing curved surface.

4. A bullet gauge according to claim 1 in which the magnifying part is cylindrical and magnifies only in one direction.

5. A bullet gauge according to claim 1 in which the magnifying part is cylindrical and the gauge proper is placed to one side to bring the edge of the flange in approximately the center line of the cylinder.

6. A bullet gauge according to claim 1 in which the magnifying part is cylindrically provided with an annularly curved surface and wherein the headed and flanged gauge-proper is placed centrally.

'7. Apparatus of the character described for gauging the scoring of shots in a target, including, in an integral unit: a body portion of transparent material, this body having a fiat surface adapted to be placed against the target and anV opposite curved surface adapted to provide a magnified view of anything in the plane of said fiat surface; a circular head portion, of somewhat less diameter than the bullet with which the gauge is to be used, projecting from the flat side; and means on the fiat side for indicating a distance from the center of the head portion equal to the radius of said bullet.

8. Apparatus of the character claimed in claim 7, wherein the last mentioned means is circular and concentric with the head portion.

RUSSELL WILES, JR. 

